Torsiometer.



P. T. BDGEGOMBE.

TORSIOMETER.

APPLICATION FILED APE.17, 1912.

Patnted June 17, 1913.

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F. T. EDGEGOMBE.

TORSIOMETER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.17. 1912.

1,065,305, Patented June 17, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

, COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co, WASHINGTON, u c.

F. T. EDGEGOMBE.

TORSIOMETER.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.17, 1912.

1,065,305, Patented June 17, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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FEEDER/0K 7ifomnszv6scom3e FREDERICK THOMAS EDGECOMBE, 0F DUMBARTON,SCOTLAND.

TORSIOMETER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1'7, 1913.

Application filed April 17, 1912. Serial No. 691,417.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK THOMAS Eocnoonnn, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Dumbarton, in the county ofDumbarton, Scotland, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Torsiometers, and of which the following is the specification.

Electrical torsiometers, while they have the advantage that theindicating instru-' ment employed with them may be placed in anyconvenient position, as its connection with the shaft in which torque isbeing measured is electrical, have the disadvantage of great delicacy intheir parts, particularly if they be adapted for wide read ings of smallamounts. Mechanical torsiometers, while they avoid the disabilities ofdelicate construction, sufier from the fact that their indicating orrecording mechanism is in mechanical connection and must of necessity beclose to that part of the shaft where torque is measuredthat is to sayinthe shaft tunnel or beneath the floor plates of a shipand very oftendifiicult of access.

The invention has for its object to obtain the advantages of bothsystems and avoid their disadvantages, and a torsiometer made accordinto the invention comprises essentially a mechanical torque measuringdevice and an electrical device operated thereby and indicating orrecording that measurement at any convenient pointdistant, it may be,from the mechanical device.

An apparatus made according to the invention may further comprise aplurality of electrical devices of difierent caliber, so that torque maybe read either upon a Wide scale for small measures, or a close scalefor greater measures.

In carrying out the invention the mechanical torque measuring device isof the type described in the specifications of the prior British patentsNo. 3045 of 1907, No. 25699 of 1908 and the prior United States PatentNo. 9636695th July, 1910; and the electrical indicating device consistsof a rheostat, the moving contact of which is operated by one of thoseparts in that mechanical device to which is transmitted a multiplicationof the torque movement. The rheostat is in circuit with a galvanometeror like measuring or recording instrumentin the known manner of anelectrical resistance varying torsiometer.

In order'that the invention and the manner of performing the same may beproperly understood, there are hereunto appended two sheets ofexplanatory drawings in which Figures 1 and 2, Sheets 1 and 2, aresectional elevations of such part of a mechanical torsiometer of thetype referred to as are necessar Y to illustrate the carrying out of theinvention, and combined therewith an example of part of those electricaldevices which form in combination the subject of the present invention,while Fig. 3, Sheet 3, illustrates a preferred method of forming therheostat, and Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrams of electric connections, whileFig. 6 (Sheet 2) shows in plan the general in stallation, the details ofwhich are illustrated in the figures above mentioned, and Fig. 7 is adiagrammatic representation of the ammeter used with the constructionshown in Fig. 4.

In the mechanical torsiometer referred to there is a drum rotated bymultiplying gearing and magnifying the torque-movements of the shaftbeing tested.

As shown in Fig. 6 the present installation comprises generally a longsleeve :1: fastened to the shaft at one end m in well known manner andcarrying at its opposite end a bracket-supporting member C disk shapedor otherwise as may be convenient. Facing the member C is a secondcarrier C, the hub 3 of which extends in opposite direction to sleeve onthe shaft and is secured to the latter at y in any suitable manner. Thesecuring points of the two memb-ers C and C are thus spaced remotelyapart. Each of these members is preferably formed in halves so that theymay be readily adjusted upon the shaft, while flanges 50 m and 3 3afford means for bolting the respective halves together.

According to the illustrative example of the present invention, shown inFigs. 1 and 2, (in which only about a quarter of the diameter of theshaft is shown) there is substituted for the drum referred to a balancedarm A driven by the usual train of wheels B, B B from the arc of teeth Bon the member C moving under torque relatively to the member 0 upon abracket C on which wheel train and arm A are carried. The arm A isadjustable for zero setting and carries a contact piece A making contactWith .shown in Fig. 3 of closely adjacent zig-zz tor, so that a greaterreading is given for an arc of resistance l) which may be a curved wirebut is preferably built up as at metallic ribbon l) letween the folds ofwhich are inserted strips ll oil. an insulating material such as mica.This are of resistance is held in a channel in a disk D secured to thebracket 1 carrying the multiplying gear. Thus it does not rotate uponits own axis but only bodily with the bracket D which in turn is carriedby the bltlCliGt C. ll ithin a central drum on this disk D is arrane'eda coil. spring E conncctcd at one end to the drum and at the other endto the multiplying gear spindle upon which is carried thecontact-bearing arm A. This spring serves in the first place to talte upbacltlasn in the gear, and in the second place to electi" rally earth,through the apparatus to the metallic struc ture of the ship, thecontact piece .12 is shown in Figs. l, 2 and lcurrent from anaccumulator or other substantially inyariable source is led by wires 1(1, (indicated diagran'nnatically) and brushes i G to slip rings F G andthence to each end of the arc of resistance 1). i s has been alreadysaid, the contact arm A is earthez. and there is thus provided aseparate circuit through each slip ringone circuit for ahead running,the other ilior astcrnf In each of these circuits is a balancingresistance 1*, G, for testing purposes and which can be cut out or in bythe operation of switches F G while in the earth connection is also aswitch H, that circuit may be broken when no reading is desired. In theearth connection is also a rheostat and traveling contact il by whichthe instrument used for indicating (or recording) may be adjusted, thetwo circuits F, G, and the earth connection finally terminating in thethree terminals F, G, E of (litterentially wound duplex ammeter or otherequivalent instrument having a scale calibrated in torque units.

According to a second example, and as illustrated in Fig. 5, there aretwo arcs of resistance, D, D, the one at lesser, the other at greaterradial distance. Two double. al ternative circuits with the ammeter orother i1'istrumentone for each resistance are provided. The resistancespreferably subtend equal angles at their common centhe same angularmovement on the outer than on the inner arc. lthe ammeter is providedwith two scal.esa wide scale tor the inner circuitand a narrow for theouter.

The ammeter or other instrument used may be provided with devicesrecording upon a chart in known manner.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe, Gommissioner-r hat I claim is 1. In a torsiometer for shafts, apair of adjacent members operatively connected to the shaft at pointsspaced remotely apart, means for multiplying the relative motion of saidmembers, an indicator mechanically actuated by said multiplying means incombination with an electrically operated indicator comprising aresistance element and means in connection with said inultiplying,-mechanism for varying the resistance of said element upon a variation ofthe torque.

2. In a torsiometcr for shaft-s, a pair of adjacent members operativelyconnected to the shaft at points spaced remotely apart, means formultiplying the relative motion of said members, an indicator armmechanically actuated by said multiplying means, in combination with anelectrically operated indicator comprising a rheostat, a contact on saidindicator arm cooperating with said rhcostatto vary the resistancethereof upon a 'ariation of the torque, together with an electricalinstrument at a distance in the rheostat circuit for indicating suchvariations in resistance.

3. In a torsiomcter for shafts, a pair of adjacent members operativelyconnected to the shaft at points spaced remotely apart, means formultiplying the relative motion or said members, an indicator armmechani- (rally actuated by said multiplying means, in combination withan electrically operated indicator comprisinga rheostat, a contactonsaid indicator arm cooperating with said rheostat to vary the resistancethereof upon a variation of the torque, together with an ammeter in therheostat circuit for indicating the variations in the current caused bythe variation of resistance in said rheostat.

l. in a torsiometer for shafts, a pair of adjacent members operativelyconnected to the shaft at points spaced remotely apart, means formultiplying the relative motion of said members, an indicator armmechanically actuated by said multiplying means, in combination with anelectrically operated indicator comprising a rheostat with two arcs ofcontact thereon, contacts on said indicator arm cooperating with saidrheostat contacts, a double scale amn'ieter and means for putting saidammeter in, circuit. alternatively with either arc of contacts,suliistantially described.

in testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK THOMAS EDGECQMBE.

Witnesses:

lVlLFRiii) HUNT,

DUNCAN LOGAN.

of IPatents,

Washington, D. G.

